I Am an Ordinary Human
After completing the third day and confirming that the portrait had closed its eyes, Yu Seong-un went to see the guild leader as soon as the clock struck nine in the morning.
"It's dangerous."
"What is dangerous?"
"That portrait is dangerous."
He delivered the report with a calm face.
"This has nothing to do with whatever goodwill the portrait itself may feel toward us humans. It's true that monsters who harbor goodwill toward people occasionally exist — but it's equally true that their goodwill has often proven a deadly poison."
"Are you saying Ji-oh's portrait is the same as the goodwill of those monsters?"
"No. It's more dangerous than that."
Yu Seong-un reported everything he had confirmed.
"That portrait knows exactly what it's doing, how it appears to others, and what kind of influence its actions carry. It's nothing like the monsters until now who smothered people by dumping goodwill on them without a second thought."
Above all else—
"He recognizes himself as a person."
Which meant he would try, one way or another, to interact with humans. He didn't seem the type to feel any aversion to conversation.
"But at the same time, he doesn't see us as human."
"Then what?"
"Ji-oh judged us as paintings. And he's still appraising us that way."
Yu Seong-un had felt the overwhelming soul of "Ji-oh." Any living thing capable of thought would have felt it — no sophisticated analysis equipment or skills required.
It wasn't simply the power that came from measured footsteps, a weighty presence, or refined features. Yu Seong-un still couldn't forget the vastness he had felt when he met those black eyes.
Something so immense it defied comprehension, pretending to be a mere human.
"And yet he insists he is human. Whether he truly believes it or is forcing himself to, the sincerity was unmistakable. It wasn't a lie."
In cases like this, things could stay safe for a long stretch — and then, the moment something went wrong, spiral beyond imagination.
Because he knew exactly what he was doing.
"On top of that, he's sensitive to good and evil. And yet I can't tell where his standards come from. From our perspective we might judge someone ordinary, but if 'Ji-oh' decides that person is evil… I can't even begin to imagine the outcome."
"You really can't imagine it?"
"No. This time… I'm afraid not."
Yu Seong-un sighed.
"There's no comparable case study, and no reference material to consult. A talking portrait is a first even for me."
Weapons with self-awareness were rare enough to be treasured by countless hunters. But a portrait with a self — an existence whose identity as ghost, monster, or person couldn't even be sorted out.
Even for someone with as many unusual experiences as he had, this case was a problem.
"Have you considered sending it to the Hunter Association as research material…?"
"Would I?"
"Of course not. I know. I figured as much."
Yu Seong-un covered his mouth as if to smother another sigh, composed his expression, and continued.
"Then I'll report periodically. It's hard to pin down an exact identity after only a day or two of observation."
"I'm counting on you. I plan to try talking to him again soon myself, and it would be a problem if he ignored me again — so find out what Ji-oh likes, would you?"
"That's a rather personal request, but understood for now. It's my job; you don't need to ask. It's work I should be doing anyway."
"How is it that every single one of my employees ends up this cool and dry?"
"Perhaps because those are the only people you hire."
Which was exactly why Yu Seong-un clocked in at four-thirty every morning.
"Aren't you lonely?"
At Yu Seong-un's question, the portrait blinked twice.
"I am not lonely."
The same blunt answer as always.
Yu Seong-un smiled faintly.
"If that was an intrusive question, I apologize. But this is a place where no one comes and goes except the staff who manage the works."
"……."
"I guessed that sometimes stepping outside the portrait to look around might have been an expression of that feeling."
"I prefer places without people. So it's fine."
"Do you feel uncomfortable with conversation?"
"That isn't it. Only…"
The portrait continued.
"I've already said far too much, so I've always imagined a future where I don't have to speak."
"……."
"A quiet place where I wouldn't have to talk too much, wouldn't have to become too entangled, wouldn't have to care too much… I've always wanted somewhere like that. This place suits that wish of mine."
Yu Seong-un asked,
"…Were you a person, once?"
"I am still a person."
"Ah — right. What I meant was… were you an ordinary human who wasn't inside a painting? Ordinary people aren't usually framed, after all."
"Yes. I was."
"I see."
Humanoid monsters fell into two categories.
Those born as monsters who later evolved into human form, and those who began as humans only to become monsters the moment they belonged to The Source.
In this case, the latter, then.
Monsters who still carried memories of their human days were usually the ones most easily swept up by negative emotions.
This one, though… looks almost peaceful.
But it wasn't a comforting kind of peace.
"……."
It was like a funeral.
"Ji-oh's portrait" looked exactly like someone's death.
"Well then… are you bored?"
"Sometimes I am."
"And how do you soothe that boredom? Do you have your own method?"
"Usually, I eat."
"……."
Ah. That one caught him off guard.
"…You eat?"
"Yes."
The portrait answered in its characteristically blunt voice.
"I enjoy eating."
"……."
He prayed the ingredients weren't human.
…He doesn't look like someone who'd enjoy meals, though.
If you thought of him as an ordinary person — well, he didn't give the impression of someone fixated on food.
…More like someone who wouldn't feel much about anything at all. A cold-blooded kind of indifference.
He was a striking beauty. His build wasn't thin, but it wasn't thick either.
The pale skin, the dark hollows under his eyes, the marble-still face that barely moved — none of it suggested a man who found pleasure in eating.
But there was more to be surprised by.
"This may be an intrusive question, but…"
"I can eat."
"Yes, sorry. Asking the obvious."
A painting that ate meals.
"Would it be all right to ask how you go about eating?"
At Yu Seong-un's question, "Ji-oh" answered as if it were nothing remarkable.
"I cook. I think of a dish I want, bring the matching ingredients, prepare them, set a pan over the fire or put them in an oven… and finish the cooking that way."
"……."
"Because I'm an ordinary human."
The way he explained it somehow made him feel even less human.
When Yu Seong-un didn't answer, the portrait offered another method.
"There's also a way I can enjoy because I'm inside a portrait."
"Ah — and how does that…?"
"It requires a little help, but you could give me pleasure as well, Yu Seong-un."
"…What kind of pleasure do you mean?"
Pleasure. For a moment the misdeeds of historical monsters flashed through his mind and made him uneasy — but the portrait did not demand living sacrifices or warm blood.
Like black paint spread across paper, he looked at Yu Seong-un with emotionless eyes.
"Are you any good at drawing?"
"…If it's describing an object, I can manage. Sometimes I have to sketch unfamiliar objects or plants into reports…"
"Then please draw me an apple."
"……."
"It isn't difficult, is it?"
Yu Seong-un asked back, a little startled.
"…On, on the portrait… you mean?"
"That's right."
"…Understood."
"Ji-oh's portrait" was a being with clear rules. Yu Seong-un was not foolish enough to ignore a demand from an existence of unknown nature.
He took paints and a brush from the hard case he always carried. Seeing this, the portrait asked,
"Do you always carry art supplies?"
"I try to keep a wide variety of things on hand. You never know what might happen in this gallery, so preparing for every angle is better for my own safety."
"I see."
"……."
The portrait's reaction remained as still as ever, but Yu Seong-un felt a chill inside.
What would have happened if I hadn't had drawing tools…?
The "Ji-oh" he had spoken with so far had shown a certain flexibility of his own — but then again, entities of another kind always had their capricious side.
Yu Seong-un took a quiet breath and set the brush against the portrait. A sense of sacrilege washed over him, as if he were defiling a precious work of art.
"I'm not that good at drawing, though."
"It doesn't matter."
"Hmm…"
Before long he had painted a single bright red apple.
"…It isn't a particularly pretty apple."
Yu Seong-un laughed awkwardly.
"Here's the apple you wanted."
"I see."
"Can you eat it?"
"……."
Having said that, "Ji-oh" reached toward the apple painted in one corner of the portrait.
"Thank you."
It moved.
A white, thick hand closed around Yu Seong-un's apple.
"……."
And then—
Crunch.
"……."
"……."
The yellow flesh inside the red apple showed.
Having taken a bite of the model-like apple, the portrait said,
"It's good."
"…Ah…"
"Well-ripened, and the fragrance is nice. A little small, but perfect as a snack."
"Th-that's…"
He had never seen anything like this.
"……."
"Does it seem strange?"
Yes. It was strange.
Strange enough to make his heart beat a little faster.
"…It's remarkable."
Yu Seong-un was someone who observed and managed entities of another kind. He had done this work since his previous job at the Hunter Association.
From the moment dungeons appeared and monsters ran rampant, the bizarre phenomena that had sprung up so conspicuously — and the beings at their centers — had always been his to explore and study.
There was pride in that, and satisfaction. He could only be in this position because he loved it.
"Honestly — yes, I'm surprised. I've never seen anything like this."
"I understand."
"So just now, you ate a painted apple?"
"Ji-oh" nodded.
"I am an ordinary human, but I am inside a painting. Therefore I can also be called a painting. In the same vein, I can accomplish a great many things within a painting."
"……."
"On days I don't feel like cooking, I paint finished dishes this way. Convenient, isn't it?"
"…I see."
"So I can repay your kindness."
The portrait blinked twice.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"I'm not prepared just yet."
"…Understood."
"Thank you."
Day four: complete.
When the portrait closed its eyes and opened them again, a brush was already in his hand.
"Ji-oh" began to paint.
"……."
"……."
It was a deep, vivid red — the same red as the apple Yu Seong-un had painted in the early hours of the previous day.
The form was a triangle of rounded lines. A structure that was unmistakably three-dimensional, made clearer still by transparent light. Light that struck a soft, warm sunlight shattered into fragments and scattered across the whole structure.
The color recalled a pomegranate. Transparent and red. But redder still. A raw, naked red, as if it held blood just spilled — so intense that staring too long made the eyes ache.
And then it took on life.
"……."
Its edges sharpened like a blade.
"……."
And it held darkness, until even the shadows that scattered beneath it fell under its command.
"……."
"Here."
The portrait spoke.
"A return gift."
He pushed the red gem — red as if it held a heart — with his fingertip, and
tap—
"……."
it fell into Yu Seong-un's hand.
"……."
"It's yours."
"…What…"
He asked,
"What kind of gem is this?"
"I don't know."
"……."
"But it must have been deep underground, deep enough to be hot."
"Ji-oh" continued the gem's story.
"It may have stayed somewhere as hot as a planet's heart, and taken on heat because it resembled a friend of mine. Then, after a very long stretch of years, it was discovered by human hands… and only then took on a pretty shape."
Whose story was this?
"…An interesting story."
"I'm glad it sounded that way."
"Haha…"
Yu Seong-un let out a hollow laugh without meaning to.
"What did you paint this gem with? Your brush clearly had no paint on it…"
"……."
"This gem looks real."
The portrait did not answer.
Instead, Yu Seong-un asked,
"May I take this?"
"You gave me a gift."
He meant that clumsy apple painting.
"This gem is the return gift."
The portrait's words sounded exactly like a devil's. There was no reason they should, and yet the otherness, the haze, the rapture of the moment made him think it.
And under a sense of unreality he could no longer contain, Yu Seong-un spoke his honest impression.
"You're right."
"I see."
"And that answer sounded exactly like something a devil would say."
He couldn't hold back the questions. That was what a researcher was.
"Why do you always answer in such simple language? Ji-oh, you… well. You speak in a way that is extremely simple and precise, designed to satisfy another person's wishes."
"……."
"I know this is an intrusive question. But I have to ask. Is it because you have no human emotion that you can do that? Or did you choose to become that way?"
The portrait did not answer. It only looked at Yu Seong-un.
A long moment passed. Only after he blinked twice did "Ji-oh" reply.
"I don't understand what you're saying, Yu Seong-un. I have not used overly simple grammar, nor have I given answers meant to fulfill a person's desires or wishes."
"……."
"I have always been this way."
His voice was still blunt and low, but something about it seemed twisted.
It was not peaceful. As if a dead man buried in a coffin had been dragged into the world of the living — still quiet, and yet somehow uncanny…
"I have human emotions — enough that I can't see why I would need to explain them."
"……."
"It isn't that I have no emotions, and it isn't a choice I made either, whatever it is. I was originally this kind of person."
The portrait looked almost angry, and almost as if he were making excuses after a sore spot had been prodded. Or as if he were simply frustrated, unable to understand what the other person was even talking about.
Or perhaps all of that was only Yu Seong-un's imagination, and the portrait felt nothing at all.
I can't tell what he's thinking.
Yu Seong-un spoke carefully.
"Of course. I know. I know you're an ordinary human."
"……."
"You seem to feel loneliness, and joy, and… many other emotions. It's only that you have a way of speaking that shows neither emotion nor personal desire. As if there's nothing there in you at all…"
As if it were simply a kind of service.
…I shouldn't go this far.
Yu Seong-un felt curiosity. Admiration, too. He had been hired by Bi Sa-beol as a curator, but his essence had always been inquiry itself.
"……."
"……."
The portrait opened its mouth again.
"I am an ordinary human."
He went on.
"I asked you to paint an apple because I wanted to eat one."
"Right."
"That was my personal wish. You painted me an apple, so I offered a return gift. We exchanged gifts, and that is ordinary courtesy between people."
"I see."
"I was only observing courtesy."
"……."
"So I don't really understand what you're trying to say."
Whether those words were a lie or the truth, he couldn't tell. From a voice of such even pitch, the mind behind it was hard to read.
"Do you know your eyes are very black?"
"Quite a lot of people have black eyes."
"That's true."
"Black eyes are common. There's nothing special about them."
"……."
"Don't think of me as too special. It would be better if you didn't."
It was like a great whale explaining to a human that it was small.
Did he deny the contradiction even while knowing it was one?
Or does he truly not know?
"Ji-oh's" blunt face hid every truth of the interior.
"…I'll be careful."
Day five: complete.
After that, the portrait did not open its eyes for some time.
"……."
Ah, honestly.
"He really ought to break that habit…"
Had he made him run away?
"……."
Socializing again after so long was exhausting.
"…Maybe I should rest."
Ultimate positive mindset: activate.
Rest.
And so he returned to the life of a shut-in.
"Ta-da."
That was why Ji-oh buried himself inside the portrait for ten whole days.
(To be continued)